Batiste a trailblazer for equity in 30s and 40s

In 1938, the Tucson native raced his way through the 110-yard high hurdles in 14.0 seconds, a time that would stand the test of time for 40 years.

"He was just so beautiful . . . like an angel going over them," said 78-year-old Lawson, the youngest and sole living Batiste sibling.

The now deceased Batiste brothers, four in all, are arguably the most talented sports family to live in Arizona. The boys practiced in a homemade backyard track and field facility, complete with the high jump and pole vault.

The Batiste brothers were trailblazers for equity in the 1930s and 40s, when minority athletes were often prohibited from participating in contact sports.

Joe played football only after he threatened not to run track if he couldn't suit up for the football team as well.

The star Batiste brother was well on his way to Olympic glory, but the Games of 1940 and '44 were cancelled because of World War II.

But his story is one marked by tremendous highs and subsequent lows, according to family members.

Joe is described as a quiet, gentle man who often internalized his feelings.

"Running gave Joe energy, a time to think and a way to clear his head," said 58-year-old Rita Elliott, Joe's niece. "That was his way dealing with life."

Elliott, the last Batiste descendant living in Tucson, said her uncle Joe was largely limited by social restraints of the time.

"What I think bothered him the most, was the fact that he ran for Tucson and represented Arizona, but when he went other places, he couldn't eat or socialize with his peers," she said. "He couldn't understand that he fought a war, came back home, and things were the same."

Emotions and heavy drinking took their toll on Joe, who died in 1958 at age 38.

"It just went downhill," Elliott said. "He was able to achieve and break records, but he couldn't do the same thing that 'White America' could do."

His legacy, however, still lives in Tucson.

"I think the Batiste family will always be remembered in Arizona," Lawson said. "Whenever I go back, they say, 'Aren't you from that Batiste family?' It makes me feel so proud."

And it's what Joe would want, according to Elliott. The Batiste family walked everywhere in Tucson, causing neighbors to feel pride and ownership in their successes.

Elliott recalls the town holding a parade in Joe's honor when he returned from an overseas track meet.